Maine Senate nominee Graham Platner faces sexual assault allegation, denies claim

Graham Platner said Monday he was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward” after Politico reported that a former girlfriend, Jenny Racicot, accused the Maine Democratic Senate nominee of sexually assaulting her in 2021. Platner denied the allegation and called it “categorically false,” putting the campaign on immediate defensive footing in a race Democrats see as central to their effort to win back the U.S. Senate and defeat Republican Sen. Susan Collins.

The allegation adds a blunt political problem to a campaign that had already started to slow down publicly. Platner canceled several campaign town halls in Maine as the story broke, a sign that the campaign was moving quickly to contain fallout while trying to avoid a larger collapse in support. The accusation itself is severe: Racicot alleged that Platner entered her home while “deeply intoxicated” and forced her to have sex despite her objections.

The next few days matter because Maine law gives Democrats a narrow off-ramp if Platner withdraws. If the nominee steps aside by 5 p.m. July 13, the party can replace him, and a new nominee must be named by July 27. That deadline leaves little room for indecision, and it means party leaders, donors and outside allies will soon have to decide whether to rally behind Platner’s denial or prepare for a replacement process if the controversy deepens.

For now, several of Platner’s highest-profile supporters have stayed silent. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Our Revolution and Rep. Ro Khanna had not immediately commented by Monday, leaving a conspicuous gap in the public response from the progressive wing that helped elevate Platner in the first place. That hesitation matters in a race that Democrats had framed as one of their best chances to challenge Collins, because support from national figures can shape fundraising, volunteer energy and the willingness of party institutions to keep investing in a nominee under fire.

The outcome now turns on whether Platner can keep the campaign intact long enough to survive the immediate shock. If he holds on, he still faces the political damage of a sexual assault allegation that landed just as his campaign was trying to build momentum. If he steps aside, Maine Democrats have a short window to pivot before the July 27 replacement deadline closes.